The Hague Innovators Academy

11 August 2016

In order to keep pace with the demands of the 21st century and its rapidly changing work environment, students and professionals need to display a new, specific range of qualities. To cope with the changing job market, you have to be resourceful, resilient and reflective.

While the job market is changing, our society also faces new challenges that need to be addressed by creative minds. At the The Hague Innovators Academy, we combine the need for solutions to societal questions with learning experiences on how youngsters can be prepared for the new demands that the economy is posing to them.   

Students, either studying in The Hague or at Leiden University, can join The Hague Innovators Academy and will be challenged to come up with effective and creative solutions for local social issues. Students will start their own start-up, and develop a product or service in order to solve one of the challenges.

Together with the municipality of The Hague, The Centre for Innovation provides dedicated and professional mentorship and coaching support to each individual start-up team. Throughout the programme we encourage a high level of self-initiative and a professional business ethos amongst the participants. Students will not receive ECTS for their work, the objective is bigger and gives them a new experience with the modern-day economy and job market: we help students to start a business based on purpose and even to make a profit.

How to join?

Are you a student that wants to make a difference in the city of The Hague? Do you have creative ideas and do you envision yourself being in charge of your own company? We are looking for students with an action-oriented attitude and a strong motivation to join our 12 workshops. Students can apply as an individual, or as a team that will form a start-up during the programme. To participate, students have to submit a two-pager in which they describe the following:

1. Their product
2. The market (situation, complication)
3. The team / Your profile

Deadline for submitting the two-pager is Friday September 9.

Send an e-mail with the two-pager to [e-mail] with the subject “The Hague Innovators Academy 2016 – [your name and surname]". 

The Hague Innovators Academy enrols six teams for the programme that equips them to enter the market place by the end of the programme. 

21th century skills

The Hague Innovators Academy is a joint initiative of the municipality of The Hague and The Centre for Innovation (Leiden University). The objective of the programme is to better prepare young citizens of The Hague for the next economy and at the same time support them in finding answers to societal issues by providing them with a unique entrepreneurial experience. The Centre for Innovation is dedicated to facilitate an entrepreneurial ecosystem that keeps the city competitive in the 21st century.

Programme overview

09/09/16 – Deadline for handing in the two-pager

15/09/16 - Start of the Academy: Matchmaking and team building

22/09/16 - Rapid prototyping and ideation

29/09/16 - Public Sector Insight

06/10/16 - Agile methods and project management

13/10/16 - Business development & sales strategy

20/10/16 - Foundations for businesses

27/10/16 - Impact entrepreneurship

03/11/16 - Financial planning

17/11/16 - First presentations 

24/11/16 - Business model writing

01/12/16 - Optimize your story and pitch training

15/12/16 - Final pitch

 

Questions about The Hague Innovators Academy?

Matteo Consonni: [e-mail]

Sjoerd Louwaars: [e-mail]